Wow! I actually cringe every time I look at my “before” picture because it takes me right back to where I was 6 years ago; overweight and miserable. I was physically, mentally and emotionally spent. I didn’t enjoy life. I was tired. I stayed in my house as much as possible. I hated how I looked and felt, and I often vented that self-hatred on the people around me (I’m not a violent person, but I can get REAL cranky…and I was cranky A LOT!)
Dianne was in the same predicament. But on top of those feelings of self-loathing, she was also diagnosed as insulin resistant and realized that things could get much worse due to a history of serious medical conditions that run in her family and are compounded by obesity.
We’ve both struggled with our weight since high school, and have gone through cycles of gain and loss too many times to count. We tried the quick fixes and the juice fasts and the cabbage soup diet. We tried eliminating food groups to trick our bodies into shedding weight fast…and sometimes it worked…but most times we choked down unreasonable amounts of cabbage, and all we got...was gas! (Hey, I’m just being honest here.) When the diets worked, the losses were always temporary, and as the weight came back, it brought feelings of frustration, anger and worthlessness (re-enter that cranky lady I mentioned earlier).
We eventually decided that we had to come at this problem from a different angle. We needed to find a way to create healthy habits that could be maintained amidst the craziness of our lives that were already filled to the brim with work, kids, husbands, church, laundry, dishes and dirty toilets! We found our answer in Lifetime Wellness Challenge. It wasn’t called that then, and it was run much differently; but the basic idea was the same…healthy HABITS = a healthy LIFE.
We knew that “going on a diet” was not the answer. And so we began creating a healthy lifestyle using the common sense principles of the challenge; daily exercise, better nutrition, increased amounts of water and limited sweets (this was, and still is, the hardest part…we LOVE our sugar)! But, the real secret to our success is...the accountability!
We love being on a team, and knowing that our choices affect the success of our team has helped get us to where we are today: 50 pounds lighter (each), healthier, stronger and so much happier (goodbye cranky lady - mostly!!!)
This didn’t happen quickly, and it was NOT easy. We both reached our goal weights in 2010 and then got pregnant and gained some of that weight back. We’re almost back to those goal weights again, and are enjoying the freedom and adventure of living a healthier lifestyle (believe me, we're still not perfect…we are "works in progress"). We’ve used running races as a way to stay motivated to exercise and have completed 5Ks, 10Ks, a 40 mile relay and 3 (4 for Dianne) half marathons! We competed in our first triathlon this year, and I am hooked! Our second one is in 2 days – I’m so excited!!! Our families have joined in the “fun” and run several races with us (even my 2 year old RAN a 1 mile kids race in July)!
Healthy living is a choice. It is not easy; but the benefits are worth the hard work and dedication. Lifetime Wellness Challenge has helped Dianne and I regain control of our health, our lives and our happiness! Give us the opportunity to help you reclaim your life as well...
